Positioning Creativity in Ethnomusicology

In Positioning Creativity in Ethnomusicology: Study and Practice, ethnomusicologists succinctly demonstrate various ways of centering creativity in music higher education. Across six chapters, 12 authors with a variety of specializations and years of experience in (and outside of) academia come together to offer their answers to the question, “What might be possible if we were to (re)position creativity at the center of all we do?” Their contributions range from creative philosophical and theoretical approaches that deemphasize Western canonical views, to practical applications in ensembles, to creative ways of being respectful and reciprocal in complicated cross-cultural relationships in the field (the ethnomusicologist’s research locus), among music faculty, and with students in the classroom.

Bringing together a wide range of case studies, the chapters tie anti-colonial advocacy to the creation of spaces where creativity can flourish, show how creative applied ethnomusicology benefits communities, and address the creative pedagogies required to situate diverse musical cultures in the context of academia while overcoming gaps in student and faculty understanding. Providing new insights for scholars, instructors, and students Positioning Creativity in Ethnomusicology is an essential resource that reframes how we practice and teach ethnomusicology.